Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates to a drainable ostomy pouch comprising a first or proximal and a second or distal side wall of flexible sheet material sealed to each other for defining a cavity therebetween for receiving human stomal discharge through an aperture in said proximal side wall and an elongate drainage portion extending downwardly in a longitudinal direction thereof and ending in a drainage opening extending transversely to said longitudinal direction.
Description of the Existing Art
In connection with the use of such ostomy pouches, several considerations are of great importance to the quality of life of the persons utilizing the pouches. The pouches should be easy to drain without risking soiling of clothes or the surroundings, they should be easy to close securely after being drained and they should be amenable to being cleaned after drainage and before closing again such that the risk of unpleasant odours is substantially reduced.
Many different solutions concerning the closing, cleaning and drainage operations have been proposed and implemented. These solutions all have serious disadvantages regarding security of the closure, requirements to dexterity often not at hand for elderly persons, difficult cleaning procedures, and so on.
UK patent application No. GB 2 000 683 discloses a drainable ostomy pouch of the type in reference having a bar of relatively rigid polymeric material bonded to the outer surface of the distal side wall at the bottom of the drainage portion adjacent and along a drainage aperture extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the drainage portion. This bar is utilized to facilitate folding of the drainage portion in said longitudinal direction until a transversely extending strip of Velcro® attached to the proximal side wall can be engaged by a corresponding strip of Velcro® located on a transversely extending flap attached to said distal wall.
The drainage aperture and the area surrounding it are difficult to clean because of the thin proximal wall film not being easy to locate and separate from the bar for cleaning and removing any elongate material between said film and the bar. Furthermore, when folding the drainage portion upwards the end of the proximal wall film may be displaced upwards and wrinkled thereby increasing the risk of a deficient closure with leakage occurring along said wrinkles.